Won’t keep you in suspense.. Yes, there is!

Some experts believe that Hopscotch dates back as far as Ancient Rome! It has been suggested that Roman soldiers would compete in 100 foot long hopscotch courses, dressed in heavy armour; in order to build endurance. Others have argued that it came even before that, played by Roman children. It wasn’t mentioned in English print however until around 300 years ago. This game has really stood the test of time! Though it used to be referred to as “scotch-hopper”

Diversity of hopscotch

The way I remember Hopscotch doesn’t actually stand with the rules of the game, for me, you hopped and jumped depending on the layout of the squares. Though in actuality you are supposed to include stone throwing in this game. Hopscotch isn’t only enjoyed the way I remember it, there is the variation of including throwing a stone onto 1, hopping past it without touching the 1 box, and returning, then doing the same for 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. This variation dictates that the stone must land fully in the area you are aiming for, and not touch a line. This is played in groups so player one must complete every throw successfully, and make it to the end without falling, standing on a square or standing on an area with a stone. If they fail, player 2 starts from the beginning and so on.

There is also the Search A Round variation

Image from British Heart Foundation's Active Playgrounds Booklet.

Benefits

Children learn to master body control.

They will also learn to control body rhythm which is the core of other numerous skills.